Back to All Guides
protocolAugust 10, 2026•7 min read•RTSPLink Engineering

RFC 2326 Deep Dive: How RTSP Interleaved TCP Framing Works

Understand the binary dollar-sign ($) framing protocol that allows RTP and RTCP to multiplex over a single TCP socket.

#RFC 2326#Interleaved Framing#Protocol Specs#Binary Protocol
Live RTSP Test Feed

Need an active live RTSP stream to test this integration?

Generate a free 20-minute authenticated live H.264 video feed with frame counters to test in VLC, OpenCV, or NVR software.

#1Interleaved Packet Structure

When interleaved over TCP, each RTP packet starts with a 4-byte header: 1. Byte 0: Magic character ASCII $ (0x24) 2. Byte 1: Channel number (0 for video RTP, 1 for video RTCP) 3. Bytes 2-3: 16-bit big-endian payload length 4. Followed by raw RTP payload bytes.

Ready to test your live RTSP video stream?

Generate free authenticated 20-minute RTSP links with unlimited bandwidth and inspect frame timestamps in seconds.

Related Tutorials & Setup Guides

View all 100+ guides